Poor long-term outcomes despite improved hospital survival for patients with cryptococcal meningitis in rural, Northern Uganda

Background Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) remains a major cause of death among people living with HIV in rural sub-Saharan Africa. We previously reported that a CM diagnosis and treatment program (CM-DTP) improved hospital survival for CM patients in rural, northern Uganda. This study aimed to evaluate the impact on long-term survival. Methods We conducted a retrospective study at Lira Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda evaluating long-term survival (≥1 year) of CM patients diagnosed after CM-DTP initiation (February 2017-September 2021). We compared with a baseline historical group of CM patients before CM-DTP implementation (January 2015-February 2017). Using Cox proportional hazards models, we assessed time-to-death in these groups, adjusting for confounders. Results We identified 318 CM patients, 105 in the Historical Group, and 213 in the CM-DTP Group. The Historical Group had a higher 30-day mortality of 78.5% compared to 42.2% in the CM-DTP Group. The overall survival rate for the CM-DTP group at three years was 25.6%. Attendance at follow-up visits (HR:0.13, 95% CI: [0.03–0.53], p <0.001), ART adherence (HR:0.27, 95% CI: [0.10–0.71], p = 0.008), and fluconazole adherence: (HR:0.03, 95% CI: [0.01–0.13], p <0.001), weight >50kg (HR:0.54, 95% CI: [0.35–0.84], p = 0.006), and performance of therapeutic lumbar punctures (HR:0.42, 95% CI: [0.24–0.71], p = 0.001), were associated with lower risk of death. Altered mentation was associated with increased death risk (HR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.10–2.42, p = 0.016). Conclusion Long-term survival of CM patients improved after the initiation of the CM-DTP. Despite this improved survival, long-term outcomes remained sub-optimal, suggesting that further work is needed to enhance long-term survival.